Thermostatic valve



June 22 1926.

W. R. ZIMMERMAN THERMOSTATIC VALVE Filed April 1926 Patented June 22,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. ZIMMER-MAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BISHOP & BAB-COCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

THERMOSTATIC VALVE.

Application led April 7, 1926. Serial N0. 100,278.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to thermostatic valves ismore partlcularly directed to an improved thermostatic valve for use inconjunction with the circulatory system of an internal combustionengine. One of the principal objects of the invention is the provisionof an extremely simple device of this character, and one having fewparts. A further object is the provision of a thermostaticallycontrolled valve which operates to control the flow of the circulatorymedium, and is provided with means for causing an opening of the valveupon failure of the thermostatic element and by reason of the pressureexerted upon the valve by the circulatory medium.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting, however f but one ofvarious mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may beused.

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a view more or less diagrammatic of aninternal combustion engine, cooling means and circulatory system inwhich is disposed my improved valve; and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionthrough the valve.

Referring now to Fig. 1 there is shown an internal combustion engine 1which is provided with the usual cooling jackets, (not shown), one foreach of the cylinders of the engine, these jackets discharging at theirupper ends into a manifold 2. Extending from the discharge port in themanifold is a circulatory conduit 3 which leads to the upper portion ofa cooling means, consisting of a radiator 4E. The cooling liquid, whichis usually water, is forced up through the conduit 3 to the top of theradiator and then flows downward through the radiator. From the bottomof the radiator there extends a lower conduit 5 leading toa circulatingpump 6, by means of which the water is drawn from the radiator throughthe conduit 5, and through a second conduit 7 which leads to the lowerportions of the various jackets around the cylinders,

The pump 6 may be operated in any usual manner.

Interposed in the upper circulatory conduit 3 is my improved valvemechanism, which is shown in Fig. 2. My improved valve includes ahousing 10, in which is disposed a valve seat 11, against which isseated a valve 12 which closes the housing, and also the conduit, toflow. The valve is secured to a stem 13 which extends through a suitableguide or bearing 14 in arms l5 which are formed from the same disk whichconstitutes the seat 11, being bent inwardly to allow -the use of a flatdisk valve, and being spaced Vto permit the flow of water around them.The valve has a free effective area on its upstream side which extendsto the inner edge of the contact of its circumferential portion with theflat portion of the valve seat. The stem 13 is secured to, and sealedwithin, the head 16 of a hollow resilient, expansible and contractibleelement 17, which, for convenience, will be hereinafter referred to as ametallic bellows. The other end of this bellows is sealed and secured toa disk or partition 18 extending transversely of the chamber andprovided with a series of ports 19 adjacent its circumference,permittinof the constant flow of water therethrong The metallic bellows17 is filled, under a pressure less than atmospheric pressure, or towhat will be designated a subnormal pressure, with a small quantity of avolatile liquid which will volatilize and expand at a predeterminedtemperature, the expansibility of the fluid causing an expansion of thebellows and the consequent movement of the valve 12 away from the seat11, thus permitting liow through the casing 10 and conduit 3. The iow'is in the direction 0f the arrows 20. The metallic bellows is also soproportioned and disposed with respect to its mounting on the disk orpartition 18 ,that when the valve 1Q is closed the bellows will eitherbe in a normal condition, that is, neither expanded nor contractedrelatively to its condition at atmospheric pressure, or in a slightlyexpanded condition, thus giving a slight tension, which tends to keepthe valve on its seat.- In addition to this tension there is of coursethe difference in pressure acting against `the elfp'ctive are-a 0j theend 16 of the bellows. There is a substantial vacuum within the bellowsand atmospheric pressure outside, the difference in the two pressuresmultiplied by the effective area of the disk 16 giving an additionalpressure which tends to keep the valve' on its seat so long as thebellows wall is intact.

In the normal operation of my device when the engine is started water isforced up through the conduit 3 through the ports 19 and around thebellows wall 17. Then the temperature of this water has reached thepredetermined temperature which is effective to cause volatilization ofthe fluid inside the bellows the water acts to expand the bellows,moving the valve 12 from its seat and permitting flow through theconduits 3 to the radiator. The valve of course remains open as long asthe water is at the predetermined temperature or above.

In the event of a microscopic leak in the wall of the metallic bellows,which sometimes occurs without permitting any rapid filling of thebellows by the circulatory medium, it is sometimes desirable to causethe valve to move to an open position to prevent an excessive increasein temperature in the water jackets and resultant injury to thecylinders. In the present construction this action is secured by theproportion of the size of the bellows, that is, the effective operating'area of the bellows and the area of the valve 12, the latter being madelarger i than the effective area of the bellows by an amount determinedby the water pressure which will normally exist in the conduit andthrough the casing 10, and which will act of course to produce apressure on the upstream side of the valve 12 tending to open it. Theeffective area of the bellows extends across the central portion thereofto a circumference approximately midway of the corrugations about thebody of the bellows. lf a microscopic leak develops in the bellows walland the vacuum therein is lost there will then be a force acting to holdthe valve open, or to open the valve if closed, which will b-e thedifference in prelssure exerted on the down-streamside of the movableend of the bellows and the upstream side of the valve 12, As the valve12 has the greater area the pressure will open, or tend to hold open,this valve, thus preventing any stoppage of the circulation and any injury to the engine. If the circulation is maintained by a pump whichproduces a high pressure then a relatively small differential in theeffective area of the bellows and in the area of the valve will besufiicient to produce this opening action, while a lower pump pressurewill of course require a greater differential in these areas. Unless thebellows is filled with acirculatory medium the valve will either open orremain in that condition since then the pressure will be balanced onboth sides of the moving end of the bellows and the full area of thevalve will be effective to maintain it in an open pos'tion.

The form of casing shown is particularly adapted for insertion in arubber hose line, or hose line of similar type, the ends 241 and 25being corrugated to permit the effective clamping within the ends of theconduit 8 by any suitable means, while the joint 26 between the forwardand rear parts of the casing is formed by spinning over the flange 27,which clamps tightly together the outer edge of the disk 11 and theout-turned flange 28 on the forward edge of the casing 10 proper. Thepartition or disk 18 is securely and accurately seated by being engagedwithin a recess 29 formed in the body 10 followed by the spinning inwardof a slight ridge 30, which locks this partition in place and in acertain spaced relation to the forward partition, in which is formed thevalve seat 11.

The combined guide and valve seat 11 is formed from a single sheet ofmetal and serves both the purpose of a seat for the valve 12, a guidefor the stem 13 and a stop limiting the outward movement of the bellowsand valve and preventing the valve, in the event of a rupture of thebellows wall, from ever moving far enough outwardly or in a downstreamdirection to engage the casing thus partially or completely stopping thecirculation of the cooling medium. One of the advantages of thisconstruction just referred to is that it combines in a single elementvarious desirable or central features in such a construction, and inthis way simplifies the entire construction and reduces the number ofparts. It should be noted that even though the various features of myinvention, such as the one just referred to and others previouslydescribed, are employed it is still possible to employ aA valve havinga. less area than the effective area of the bellows, although in such aconstruction the bellows must be filled at a materially higher pressurebecause the normal tendency of such a construction is to remain closed,and there is a differential pressure in the circulating medium whichmust be overcome by an increased pressure in the bellows before thevalve can be moved to an open position.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regardsv themechanism herein disclosed, provided `the means stated by any of thefollowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my inventionlv In combination aeireulatory conduit, a

valve disposed therein to control flow therethrough, said valve openingdownstream therein, and a sealed hollow. A.resilient element disposed onthe upstream side of said valve andconnected thereto, said elementcontaining a volatile fluid at subnormal pressure, said elementexpanding to open said valve, and said element then exerting a closingpressure upon said valve consisting of the subnormal confined pressureplus any tension in the element, and the area of said valve beinggreater than effective area of Said element, whereby a puncturing or"said element allows the pressure of circulatory liquid to overcome theresistance of said valve to opening.

2. In combination, a circulatory conduit, a valve seat therein, a valvedisposed in said conduit on said seat to close the same against iiow,said valve opening downstream, a hol` low expansible and contractibleelement disposed in said conduit on the upstream side of said valveconnected to the same, said element containing a volatile fluid at lessthan atmospheric pressure, the effective area of said element being lessthan the eii'ective area of said valve.

3. In a device of' the character described, the combination of a -casinghaving two portions abutted end to end, one of said portions having anoutwardly extending flange and an encircling recess in its inner Wall ata point spaced from said flange, an apertured partition disposedtransversely of said casing and having its outer periphery disposedadjacent said flange, and the other of said two portions having` aflange extending over and clamping together, said flange on said firstnamed portion and said partition, a second apertured partition disposedtransversely of said casing and sealed into such recess inthe wallthereof, and a thermo` statically controlled valve mounted in saidcasing on said last named partition and seating against said first namedpartition.

4l. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving oppositely disposed ports and an enlarged intermediate portion,provided with two encircling spaced recesses in its inner wall, twoapertured partitions mounted and sealed in said recesses, one of saidpartitions having a central valve opening therein, and the other' one ormore constantly open ports, a valve mounted on the side of said firstnamed partition away from said second partition in position to close theopening therein, and a thermostatic element mounted on said sei-condpartition and disposed between that and the other partition, and meansconnecting said element and said valve tor operation.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving oppositely (B51305661 POTS, a thermostatie'ally controlled valvemounted in said casing and disposed longitudinally therein, and anelement disposed transverse-ly in said casing, said elementI beingprovided with a portion forming a seat for said valve and with anotherportion constituting a guide 'controlling the direction of movement ofsaid valve and acting asl a stop limiting the movement of said valve inone direction.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving spaced ports, two spaced transverse partitions secured to theinner walls of said ycas'ng, said sartitious being apcrtured to permitliquid iiow therethrough, a hollow imperforate thermostatic elementsecured at one end to one of said partitions, a valve, a stem connectingsaid valve to said thermostatc element, and the other of said partitionsbe ing provided with a recessed portion provided with a central hubhaving an opening therein, in which is slidably received said stem, saidlast-named partition acting as a seat for said valve and said hubserving as a guide for said stem and a stop element limiting themovement of said stem and valve in one direction.

7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of acirculatory conduit, a transverse partition disposed in said conduit andhaving an opening therethrough, a valve disposed on the downstream sideof said partition, a hollow imperforate, cylindrical, expansible andcontractible thermostatic element disposed on the upstream side of saidpartition, said element having its upstream end fixed against movement,means connecting said element and said valve whereby |contraction ofsaid element causes said valve to seat against said partition and closesaid opening and expansion of said element opens said valve, and thearea of such opening in said partition being materially greater than theeffective area of said element, whereby pressure of liquid in saidconduit tends to open said valve upon failure of the expansible element.

8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of' acirculatory 'conduit for liquid, a transverse partition disposed in saidconduit and having an opening there through, a valve disposed on thedownstream side of said partition, a hollow, imperforate, corrugated,cylindrical thermostatic element disposed on the upstream side of saidpartition, said element having its upstream end fixed and containing avolatile eXpansible fluid, `means connecting said valve and element tomaintain said element at not less than normal length when said valve isseated against said partition to close said opening, and the area ofsuch opening in said partition being greater than the edective area ofthe downstream end of' said element,- Whereby any pressure etcirculating liquid in said conduit will exert a pressure tending to opensaid valve.

9. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of acirculatory conduit for liquid, aA transverse partition disposed in saidconduit and having an opening therethrough, a valve disposed on thedownstream side of said partition, a hollow, imperforate, corrugated,Cylindrical thermostatio element disposed on the upstream side of saidpartition, said element having its upstream end lixed and Containing avolatile expansible fluid at less than atmospheric pressure, meansconnecting said valve and element to maintain said element at not lessthan normal atmospheric pressure length when said valve is seatedagainst said partition to close said opening, and the area of saidopeningl in said partition being greater than the ef- :teetive area ot'the downstream end of said element.

10. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a'circulatory conduit for liquid, a transverse partition disposed in saidconduit and having an opening therethrough, a valve disposed on thedownstream side of said partition, a hollow, iinperforate, corrugated,cylindrical thermostatie element having its upstream end fixed andcontaining a volatile expansible fluid, means connecting said valve andelement to maintain said element at not less than normal atmosphericIpressure length when said valve is seated against said partition toClose said opening, and the area of su'ch opening in said partitionbeing greater than the effective area of the downstream end of saidelement, and the area ot said valve exposed to the circulatory liquidwhen said valve is in closed position being materially less than thetotal area of said valve exposed to the liquid when said valve is in theopen position.

Signed by ine this 6th day of April, 1926.

VILLIAM R. ZIMMERMAN.

DISCLAIMER 1,590,146.-Wflham R. Zimmerman, Cleveland, Ohio. THERMosTATIcVALVE. Patent dated Juno 22, 1926. Disclaimer led November 13, 1939, bythe assignee, The Bishop c@ Babcock Mfg. Company. Hereby enters thisdisclaimer to claims 1, 2, and 7 of said patent.

[Oficial Gazette December 12, 1989.1

